Teachers, students at KU miss Dr Rafi, the rebel professor

On Friday morning, Head of the Department Sociology at the Kashmir University tried hard to meet assistant professor Muhammad Rafi Bhat in the department, but couldn’t. The HoD wanted to send Rafi along with a batch of students to Rajouri and Poonch on a field visit in coming months and wanted to discuss the modalities.

When the HoD again expressed his desire to meet Rafi on Saturday morning, he got a shocker after he was told his favorite professor has gone missing.

   

“It was 11 in morning, I was going to take a class and I passed through a room and enquired about him (Rafi). I was told he has gone to political science department. I left a message for him to meet me and left to take a class in the department,” says HoD sociology department Prof. Pirzada M Amin.

Prof Amin had planned to depute Prof. Rafi with students for a field visit to Doda and Rajouri.

“I thought I will discuss with him about the scheduled field visit and if he can volunteer for going with the students,” Prof Amin says.

Least he knew that Prof. Rafi will join militancy and will be killed within 48 hours. Last year, Prof Rafi was the only faculty member who had volunteered for accompanying sociology department students for a field visit to Leh.

 “That was for the first time when I decided to send students for field visit. All the faculty members refused to go with students but Dr. Rafi agreed and conducted the field visit so marvelously.”

Prof Muhammad Rafi Bhat from Ganderbal went missing on Friday afternoon after delivering his last lecture. His family members on Saturday reported to the university’s chief proctor about this. On Sunday morning the professor was killed in an encounter by government forces along with other four militants in Shopian.

“Until 9:30 p.m on Saturday I was telling everyone that it is not possible that he will join militancy. I thought he had some argument with his parents and might have gone somewhere and switched off his phone. I am in a shock. I am not able to think how and why it happened,” says Prof Amin who knew the slain professor over the past 12 months. “I joined as HoD in May 2017.”

Slain Prof. Rafi is remembered as obedient, composed, sober teacher and colleague in the sociology department.

As per his professional experiences in the department, late Prof Rafi was counted as one of the marvelously committed, dedicated and honest man to his job.

“He was very obedient which I will always miss. I will tell you honestly, he was a great support to me as a colleague in terms of teaching and other assignments,” recalls, Prof Amin.

Besides the faculty, the death of Dr Rafi has left the students in a state of shock.

One of his students, Asif, said, “About 10 days ago, Dr Rafi told us in the class that he was going to Hyderabad for his interview which disappointed all the students. That day we requested him to stay with us for two months till our degree is completed.”

“But he left us forever.”

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